Rwanda-Urundi: Tourism deals!

KIGALI, RWANDA - Rwanda and Burundi have signed a Memorandum of Understanding paving way for mutual protection of two major national parks.
The MoU was signed in Rwanda recently by the director general of Rwanda Office for Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN), Ms. Rosette Rugamba and the director of Burundi National Institute for Nature and Environmental Conservation (INECN), Mr. Adelin Ntungumburanye.
The signing of the MoU is a result of the collaboration idea conceived in 2005 by the two countries to initiate joint transboundary protection to achieve sustainable conservation of the ecosystem in Nyungwe National Park of Rwanda and Kibira of Burundi.
Nyungwe National Park extends for 1,000 square Kilometers across the hills of South East Rwanda.
The park has more than 200 different types of tree species and harbours close to 300 bird species.
Kibira National Park is the largest untouched natural area in Burundi situated at the top of Apex DRC-Nile with its 40,000 hectares of preserved forest. It is home to wild life such as chimpanzees, baboons and monkeys.
Burundi, which is just rebuilding after a prolonged civil war has prioritized the tourism sector among other development drives in the pipeline.
Two weeks ago, President Pierre Nkurunziza launched a tourism promotions drive to market the country as a major destination.
Technically, tourism becomes East Africa’s leading sector.
“This is the beginning of a long relationship that will lead to the development of both countries particularly Burundi since our tourism sector has been underdeveloped due to wars but since the war is ending, Rwanda will show us the way,” Ntungumburanye said shortly after signing the document.
Rwanda already has another MoU with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to protect the species and nature in the Albertine Rift.
“We are looking forward to the success of this collaboration and there is no turning back since there is commitment and will which are most important,” Ms. Rugamba said.
The understanding will see the two countries conserve biodiversity, natural resources and associated cultural values, research, monitoring and ecotourism.
They will also lobby for planning and better management to reduce threats affecting the two national parks. The two bodies also agreed on rational sharing of resources and skills development for the sustainable conservation of both areas.
To ensure its successful implementation, the two parties agreed to set up a joint core secretariat comprising of heads of the two institutions and technical advisors and a facilitator from Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). They will also develop a strategic plan to define a work plan and various proposals of both areas will be elaborated.
The collaboration will also deal with common challenges to conservation including poaching which led to the extinction of buffalos and elephants, bamboo cutting, cattle movement, fires where 12% of the park has been burnt in the last 12 years, insecurity and poor infrastructure especially on the side of Burundi.
On the side of Rwanda, however, a lot of efforts and initiatives have been put in place to ensure Nyungwe National Park is protected and developed into an amusement park.
Dubai World, an emerging investor in Rwanda is also putting up $3million tent-made lodges in the park to ensure accommodation in the park.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in its Project named ‘Destination Nyngwe’ is setting up other two lodges.
Nyungwe, which is Rwanda’s largest natural forest, was transformed into a national park. Last year alone it was visited by 4,000 tourists who spent US$234,000.

Source: East African Business Week